Trolley conveyer



June 16, 1931.

E. V. FRANCIS TROLLEY GONVEYER Filed April 21,' 1930 Patented June 16,1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARLE V. FRANCIS, OF COLUMBUS,

OHIO, ASSIGN OR TO THE JEFFREY UFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO,A CORPORATION OF OHIO TROLLEY CON VEYER Application led April 21,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in trolleyconveyers of the type disclosed in my co-pending applications, Serial No. 275,212, led May 4, 1928, and No. 416,187, filed December 23, 1929,in which ya series of trolle hangers are connected with a draft deviceor propulsion along a runway or track.

Like the previous applications, the important object of the presentinvention is to provide a trolley conveyer capable of traversinghorizontal and vertical curves in a trackway without causing unduefriction or imposing breaking stresses upon the parts constituting theconveyer` and is accomplished by providing a construction which vwillcause the center lines of the trolley hangers to be disposed in thelines of reaction normal to the trackway in passingabout the curves, sothat the hangers are maintained radial to the curve of the trackway.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyer of this type inwhich the draft device does not necessarily depend upon the trolleyhangers to' form thedraftelement into a unitary device, just as in myco-pending application, Serial N o. 416,187. Y

Another important object of the -invention is to provide a slidingelement cooperating with the trolley hanger and the pair of links of thedraft device-which extend fromlopposite sides thereof, to compel thispair of links to be disposed symmetrically and at equal angles relativeto the hanger in traversing vertical curves in the trackway.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent inthe following description In the accompanying drawings, forming a partof the4 description and wherein like numerals are employed to designatelike parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the trolley conveyershowing the position of the draft device with respect to a trolleyhanger when traversing a straight portion of the trackway;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on the line2-2 of Figure 1 illus- 1930. Serial No. 446,069.

trating the trolley hanger supported by the trackway;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the trolle hanger showing the positionof the draft devnx when passing around a vertical curve;

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1looking in the direction of the arrows.

As explained in my co-pending applications, it is essential where thedraft device takes the form of a chain, to possess both hori- Zontal andvertical pivots to enable the chain to iiex horizontally and verticallyin passing around curves in the trackway of the conveyer. The simplestand most efficient construction for vthis purpose is a draft chainhaving its links joined on vertical axes which permitsthe chain to flexproperly when passing around horizontal curves. With such a chain,however, dilliculties before the advent of my applications, wereencountered in such a chain passing around vertical curves, due to thearrangements heretofore provided failing to remove the breaking stressimposed upon the side links and pintles of the draft chain when flexedabout vertical curves. My foregoing applications have completelyeliminated this objectionable phase of prior trolley vconveyers byconstructions compelling the links or portions of the draft deviceextending from opposite sides of each trolley hanger to be disposedsymmetrically and at equal angles with respect to the trolley hangerswhen passing about vertical curves. This arrangement also compels thelongitudinal center lines of the 'trolley hangers, when passing aboutvertical curves, to be disposed in the line of reaction normal to thetrackway, thereby causing the trolley hangers to be disposed radial withrespect to the vertical curves -in the trackway when passing about thesame, so as to relieve the parts of the conveyer from the'breakingstress heretofore referred to.

Inthe present modification of the construction devised for this purpose,the trackway 5 for the support of the trolley conveyer is supported uponsuitable hangers 6 or other supporting means as in my preceding appli-SCD ' with respect to the trackway. Pivotally connected by bolts 11orother suitable means to the lower bifurcatedl end of each trolley body7, is a load supporting element 12 which may assume various differentforms, usually in the form of a suspension hook.

The portion of each trolley hanger below the guide roller 9 is piercedwith an opening 13 of considerable size extending transversely throughthe body as shown for the connection of a draft device 14.

The draft device 14 in the present illustration assumes the form of achain composed of a plurality of links 15 pivotally connected togetheron vertical axes by means ofpintles 16 prevented from accidentaldislocation by cotter pins or other suitable means. At intervalsvthroughout the length of the draft chain,A where trolley hangers 7 areto be associated therewith, the chain includes a pair of links 17 and 18pivotally connected at their outer ends tothe chain links 15 by means ofthe vertical chain link pintles 16. These connecting links 17 and 18 areof a size to pass through the opening 13 in the trolley hangers and areconnected thereto on its longitudinal center line by means of ahorizontally disposed pivot pin 19 extending through apertures inthehanger and also through apertures in the inner ends of the connectinglinks whereby these links are'not only pivotall connected to the hangeron a horizontal axis but' are also pivotally connected ytogether. Thisarrangement causes the link 17 connected with a portion A of the draftchain,

to extend from one side of the hanger and the other connecting link 18,connected to another portion B of the draft chain, to extend from theopposite side of the hanger as illustrated. It will be noted that thisarrangement provides only one horizontal pivot pin, whereas my previousapplications employ two horizontal pivot pins, one for each link orclevis.

The inner end of link 17, as shown in Figure 4, is bifurcated to receivea projection 2,0 of the link 18 and both of the links are additionallybifurcated or slotted as at 21. A

pin 22 forming a shoulder is extended transversely through each link 17and 18 across the slot 21 and is prevented from accidental dislocationby the side wall of slot 13. These pins 22 are provided for cooperationwith means, which will now be described, for causing the links 17 and 18to swing on their axes 19 and be disposed symmetrically and at equalangles with respect to the hanger as the chain passes around verticalcurves to overcome breaking ystress being imposed upon the links of thechain 14 in the portions of the chain which trail behind the angers.

The means provided for this purpose here comprises a "plate or element23 slidably mounted in the slots 2 1 of the links 17 and 18 for movementvertically and longitudinally of the hanger. This plate 23 is providedwith an elongated slot 24 in which the horizontal pivot pin 19 operateswhen ythe draft chain flexes on the horizontal pivot 19 in passingaround vertical curves. The plate 23 is guided in a rectilinear pathlongitudinally of the hanger by reason of a pin 25 extendingtransversely through the hanger body and through the slot 24 of thesliding plate. This pin 25 is mounted in circular openings immediatelybelow the pivot pin 19 and on the longitudinal center line of the hangeras shown. The two side edges of the plate 23v are notched as at 26 toreceive therein the pins 22 of the two connecting links 17 and 18.Consequently, it will be evident that when either link 17 or 18 is swungat an angle with respect to the trolley hanger on the pin 19 in passingabout a vertical curve, pins 2:2 will cause the plate 23`to movelongitudinally of the hanger to swing the other link 17 or 18 on itsaxis 19 a distance corresponding to the movement of the first mentionedY link. This causes equal angular movement of the links 17 and 18 abouttheir horizontal axis 19 thereby causing them to be disposedsymmetrically and at equal angles with respect to the trolley hangers,therefore relieving the links and pintles of the trailing portion of thechain from breaking stress and at the same time causing the trolleyhangers to be disposed radially with respect to the vertical curve theyare traversing.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of theinvention, it will be understood that various changes in theconstruction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device havingportions connected with said hanger extending `from opposite sidesthereof to swing vertically, and a sliding element mounted in saidhanger and having movement longitudinally of said hangers and connectedwith said portions of the draft device for causing equal angularmovement thereof.

2. Thecombinationv with a trolley hanger; of a draft'device havingportions pivotally connected with said hanger on a horizontal axis andextending from opposite sides thereof, and a rect-ilinearly Slidableelement having connection with said portions for causing equal angularmovement thereof.`

3. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device havingportions pivotally connected with said hanger on a horizontal axis andextending from opposite sides thereof, and a rectilinearly slidableelement having connection with said portions for causing equal angularmovement thereof, said horizontal axis forming guidemeans for saidelement. 4 i

4. The combination with a trolley hanger of a draft device havingportions pivotally connected with said hanger on a horizontal axis andextending from opposite sides thereof, a reotilinearly slidable elementhaving connection with said portions for causing equal angular movementthereof, and means cooperating with said horizontal axis to form a guidefor said slidable element.

`5. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a pair of links pivotallyconnected thereto on a horizontal axis and extending from opposite sidesthereof, shoulders carried by said links, and a slidable element havingnotches receiving said shoulders to cause equal angular movement of saidlinks.

6. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a pair of links pivotallyconnected thereto by a horizontal pin and extending from opposite sidesthereof, shoulders carried by said links, and a slidable element slottedforA sliding engagement withsaid horizontal pin and having notchescooperating with said` shoulders to cause equal angular movement of saidlinks. Y

.7.. The combination With a trolley hanger; of a pair of links, ahorizontal pin pivotally connecting corresponding ends of said links tosaid, hanger, a second horizontal pin extending through said hanger inthe same -vertical plane with said rst named pin, said links extendingfrom'opposite sides of said hanger, pins carried bysaid links, and asliding element slotted for sliding engagement with the hanger pins andhaving notches in its side edges receiving the link pins for caus ingequal angular movement of said links. 8. The combination withl a'trolleyhanger; of a pair of bifurcated links pivotally connected thereto on ahorizontal axis and extending from opposite sides thereof, shoulderscarried byv said links, and a connecting element slidably associatedwith said hanger and operating in the bifurcation of said links forengagement with said shoulders to cause equal angular movement of saidlinks.

9. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a pair of bifurcated links,a horizontal pin pivotally connecting the bifurcated ends of said linksto said hanger, said links extending from opposite sides of said hanger,pins carried by said links and extending across said bifurcated endsthereof, and. a connecting element slidably associated with said hangerand disposed in the bifurcations of said links and having notches in itsside edges for en- EARLE'. FRANOS.

